Cattle-guard.



No. 865,343. PATENTED SEPT. s, 190'?.

V. A. KELLEY. 1 CATTLE GUARD. .APPLIGAYTION ILED DEC, 21,-1905.

@Wi human Um. d WM @mmm Tm/M7) ummm VASSAL A. KELLEY, OF CEMENT,OKLAHOMA TERRITORY.

I CATTLE-GUARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 3, 1907.

Application filed December 21, 1905. Serial No. 292,809.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Vassar. A. KELLEY, a citizen oi the United States,residing at Cement, in the county of Caddo and Territory of Oklahoma,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cattle-Guards, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in. cattleguards lor railways,having for its object the production of a cattle-guard which is simplein construction and positive in its action, unfailingly automatic, andhaving no parts which are liable to become loose, etc., and imperiltraflic.

To this end my invention consists generally in providing transverselybetween the tracks of a railroad a spring-supported rotative memberprovided at suitable intervals with disks or the like vertical to thetrack.

My invention consists further in the elements and combinationshereinafter set forth, and pointed out in the annexed claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are to be taken as a partof this specification: Figure l is a plan view of a railway track, withmy invention applied; Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. l,show# ing the rotative member and the mode of its mounting, togetherwith the subway or supporting construction at the point of crossing;Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the numerals on the drawing, l indicates the rails of arailway, supported upon ties as usual. At any required point, ordinarilywhere the tracks intersect a line fence, the railway is provided with mycattleguard. In the construction ol this guard, the iirst step isto'provide transversely between and extending to either side of thetrack, an open space 2, within which the guard-members proper may rotateand have vertical play. This open space or inclosure is deiined as toits sides by sidings 3 affixed to and extending upwardly from a sleeperor floor-timber 4 forming the bottom oi said space. The ends of theinclosure are deiined by timbers 5 allixed to and extending upwardlyfrom the floor, said timbers 5 and sidings 3 being of suflicient heightand size to afford support for railway ties thereabove.

About midway of the length of the inclosure 2, as shown in Fig. 2, isprovided on each side of the track a boxing 7, preferably positionedunder the respective rails, and securely fastened to beams 4a, or'madeparto'f the timber or iron forming the bottom of the inclosure 2. Withinthese boxings 7 are provided stout coiled springs 8, upon which areadapted to rest the outer ends oi the rod 9 which carries the rotativedisks oi my device, said rod extending preferably through and out beyondsaid boxings on each side beyond the rails and almost to the nas adeterrent for the future.

sidings 3. In order that said rod may have vertical movement within saidboxings, for the purposes of my invention, said boxings each areprovided with a central vertical slot l0, through which said rod mayextend. Said slots receive pillow-blocks l1 of the rod, said blocksbeing adapted to give to the rod true vertical movement.

The rod 9 is provided, as shown in Figs. l and 3, with a series of disksl2 aflixed thereto suitably close together, both upon that part oi therod which extends between the tracks and upon that which projects beyondthe same at either side. Said disks are of a size to allow rotation andplay thereof within the inclosure 2.

In operation, if the foot oi an animal be placed upon a disk or disks,the same will sink by reason oi the spring support of the rod 9, and therod and its disks Will rotate in one direction or the other according tothe point of application of the animals weight. This experience willalways prevent a crossing by the animal, besides acting For practicalpurposes I have found that the best size for the disks is about two feetin diameter, allowing them to project but very little above the level oithe rails. The disks may be hung so near the ties that no animals footcan be caught (providing the ties be close enough to each other); orthey may be hung so far away from the ties that the animal couldextricate itself should its eet go through. l

What I claim is:-

1. In a cattle-guard, in combination with the rails of a railway, aninclosure between and below said track delined by a subway structurecomprising a floor, sidings on either side of the track, and end-pieces,a rotative guard-member operative within said inclosure, and means forsupporting said guard-member.

2. ln a cattle-guard, the combination with the rails of a railway, of asubway construction defining an open space between said rails, arotative guard-member and means for yieldingly supporting the rotativeguard-member upon said subway structure, said means comprising boxingsaffixed to said subway structure containing springs upon which therotative member rests, and means for allowing vertical play to saidmember,

3. In a cattlefguard, the Combination with the rails of a railway, of asubway 'construction defining an open space between said rails, arotative guard-member and means for yielding-ly supporting the rotativeguard-member upon said subway structure, said means comprising boxing-saffixed to said subway structure containing springs upon which therotative member rests, and means for insuring` true vertical play ofsaid guard-member.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

VASSAL A. KELLEY.

Witnesses BnLLn C. Moonn, D. C. CHIPMAN.

